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December/January/February/March The Florida Reporter1
Advertising Special Contact to advertise in 8 issues(2 years) of this magazine andget a special 15% discount ontop of our low rates! Call FCRAHeadquarters today at407-774-7880.MARK YOUR CALENDAR!FCRA 2019 Annual ConventionNaples Grande Beach ResortNaples, FloridaJune 28-30, 2019Needful PeopleNeed a job? Need a reporter,agency owners? ContactPlacement Chairman SandiNargiz at 850-878-2221 or Fax:850-878-2254 orsnargiz@comcast.netAddress ChangesADDRESS CHANGED?PHONE NUMBER CHANGED?Fax your changes toHeadquarters at 407-774-6440As soon as possible!Order Your Florida ManualDON’T MISS E-FLASHES!Stay up to date on Florida Rulesand Procedures. Call 407-7747880 to order your electronicversion of the Florida Manual orvisit www.fcraonline.org to order.Be sure your email address iscurrent. Call FCRAHeadquarters and give themyour email address today (407774-7880) or email your changesto cmike@kmgnet.comJust 75.00 for members!Be on the Lookout forUpcoming FloridaProfessional Reporter(FPR) Test Dates!WEBSITE WANTED!Your stories to share with otherreporters.Submit an article and receive .15CEU points if published in TheFlorida Reporter. Email your storytoeditor@fcraonline.orgARE YOU ONFACEBOOK?If so, join the FCRA Group bylooking up Florida CourtReporters Association all thelatest updates right at yourfingertips!Stenograph Special Get last-line pricing withStenograph supplies, as amember of FCRA receivesa rebate.ARE YOU MOVING?CHANGING APHONE NUMBER?CHANGING A FAXNUMBER? CHANGINGOR GETTING AN EMAILADDRESS?If so, let FCRA Headquartersknow right away. Simply fax407-774-6440 today to makeany necessary changes to theinformation we have on filefor you!December/January/February/March The Florida Reporter2
FCRA OFFICERS & DIRECTORSPresidentSharon Velazco, RPR, CLR, FPRscribe3159@aol.comPresident ElectAmy Marie Yarbrough, FPRmadamcourtreporterjax@comcast.netVice PresidentRichard Scire, RPRrscire@jud12.flcourts.orgTreasurerTracy Finan, RPR, FPRreportertrace@gmail.comSecretaryCathy Carpenter, FPRcathylcarpenter@gmail.comNorthern DirectorTiffany Treffeisen, RPR, FPRTref0109@gmail.comCentral DirectorLaura Landerman, RMR, CRR, FPRrmrcrr@aol.comSouthern DirectorJessica Donnelly, FPRcreporter@bellsouth.netDirectors at LargeMichael Scire, RPR, CMRSmichaelscirefcra@gmail.comShari Smargon, RDR, CRR, CRC, MA, FPRstenorpr@gmail.comImmediate Past PresidentLori L. Bundy, RMR, FPR, CRRloribundy@yahoo.comEditor and PublisherRichard Scire, RPRrichardscirefcra@gmail.comAssociate EditorMichael Scire, RPR, CMRSmichaelscirefcra@gmail.comExecutive DirectorLynn Hupp222 S. Westmonte Drive, Ste. 101Altamonte Springs, FL 32714lhupp@kmgnet.comW: 407-774-7880 FAX: 407-774-6440DEPARTMENTSBulletin Board. 2President’s Message: Forever Shine Bright Like a Diamond. 4Editor’s Message: My Publisher’s Hat. 5Immediate Past President’s Announcement . 31ASSOCIATION BUSINESSTrial Ready in Jacksonville . 8Unmask Your Potential . 9NCRA Photo Gallery . 10Student Corner: The Qualities of an Exceptional Instructor 11NCRA Convention Happenings . . 12Twinspiration: Heads Up 13Becca’s Boot Camp: Shift Happens . 14The Benefits of Seven Calendar Day Standard Delivery . . 18Fixer Upper: Court Reporting Edition . 20The Mentor Process . 21The Diamond Vault: The Third Decade, Part II 23The Key to Success . 32FCRA WELCOMESMembership Application . . 33Membership Pre-Authorized Payment Plan Form 34Statements of fact, opinion, and all advertisementsare made on the responsibility of the author oradvertiser, alone, and do not imply an opinion orendorsement on the part of anyone connected withFCRA. Materials may not be reproduced withoutwritten permission. Address all correspondenceconcerning content of the magazine to the editor. Allcorrespondenceregardingmembershipandadvertising should be sent to FCRA Headquarters,222 S. Westmonte Dr, #111, Altamonte Springs, FL32714. Phone: 407-774-7880, Fax: ebruary/March The Florida Reporter3
Well, since the theme of this year’sconvention is diamonds, let me start by saying it'san honor and a privilege to be in the midst of sucha treasure trove of accomplished individuals andto serve with such a priceless, dedicated board.I'm in awe of others who've stood where I am nowstanding and would like to recognize the pastpresidents who continue to work behind thescenes tirelessly for FCRA.You consistentlydemonstrate your passionate commitment to ourvocation and inspire all of us.I'm also inspired by everyone I see.Because of your attendance at the conventionand your participation in FCRA, for which we're sograteful, I know I speak for the whole board whenI say we were all so happy to be with you and toserve with you in our goal of advancing ourprofession.When it finally hit me at theconvention last year that I was going to be thenext president, I knew exactly what our themewould be: Diamonds. Not only because it's myfavorite stone, but I thought it was appropriate touse the metaphor of diamonds to stress yourimportance as court reporters.You areinvaluable. The stones in my tiara may not havevalue like real diamonds, but you do.I love the adage, diamonds are forever.You can reshape them or reset them, but they'restill diamonds. And looking out at all of you, I amdazzled by your collective brilliance. On theMohs Hardness Scale, which is the standard bywhich all minerals and stones are measured, thediamond sets the bar for its ability to withstandpressure under duress. The most brilliant ofdiamonds are those that are formed underextreme pressure at the highest temperatures. Allof you reading this shine so brightly because ofwhat you've been through and who you are,court reporters. I know that each of you hasexperienced the intense heat of a fiery crossexamination or struggled with a witness orattorney who just cannot be heard because ofthe room's ambiance, interruptions by others, orthe simple fact that the witness is soft-spoken. Yougo through those situations every day. Youdemonstrate your immeasurable worth becausein the fire of your expedites and your dailies andthe general difficulty in dealing with your constantpressures, you take the stress without cracking,and you get that transcript out!Where the beauty and value of adiamond is largely based on the four C's of cut,clarity, carat, weight and color, the value of thecourt reporter can also be measured in four C's:Our character, our competence, our conviction,and the way we care for our profession.Our character is the sum total of who weare and the qualities we bring to what we do.Every day the challenges we face help to shapeus into brilliant gemstones and help to carve thefacets that make us shine so brightly. Some of usmay be princess-cut or marquise while others arethe more traditional solitaire. Our value is furtherenhanced by our willingness to evolve and bereshaped, and this reshaping is usually donethrough our experiences. There is nothing likewalking into two-week trial about chemicaldumping and being told right then and there,"Oh, by the way, we need this right away, andcan you get it to us, like, right after lunch?"Somehow,though,throughpanicandperseverance, you get it done -- mostly panic -and you've added yet another facet to your lifeas a court reporter.Continued on page 6December/January/February/March The Florida Reporter4
My Publisher’s HatAlexander Hamilton said, “I never expectto see a perfect work from an imperfect man.” IfMr. Hamilton read the last issue of The FloridaReporter, he might have either been proud bythe mistakes or eaten his own words. None of usis perfect but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’tstrive for perfection. After all, isn’t it our attentionto detail as reporters and captioners that makesus as great as we are?In this issue you will get to read ALL ofMadam President’s “President’s Message” thatwas inadvertantly missing from the summer issue.While I read through all the articles before theyare sent to the publisher, I am only looking at theoverall layout and thus missed the errors, which Inow recognize are blatant. I am not at allblaming the publisher. I am ultimately the editorand the fault therein lies with me.That is why for this issue, I decided to takeon the role of publisher. It is quite time consumingso I can’t say that I have a huge future inpublishing to replace our publishing company butit’s my extra concerted effort to avoid mistakes.As one of my favorite judges always tells jurors,“Wherever a human is required, mistakes arebound to happen.” I love when Judge Haworthsays that. It’s a reminder that all of us are fallibleeven though we strive for perfection.Also in this issue, we have anotherinstallment of Donna Kanabay’s “The DiamondVault” series. I hope you all have been enjoyingthem as much as I have. There is so much goodand not-so-good history in our association. Iespecially enjoy learning about the people whopaved our way to the present as we take thatinformation to prepare for the future. While I’mremembering quotes, it was George Santayana,who was a philosopher, essayist, poet, andnovelist, who stated, “Those who cannotremember the past are condemned to repeat it.”On the cover of this winter edition of TheFlorida Reporter are the reporters who made it tothis year’s NCRA’s Annual Convention in NewOrleans.NCRA’s convention theme was“Unmask Your Potential,” and that themecontinues with this issue. You can read moreabout that in an article I have written.Also, please be inspired by Becca Tebon’scolumn , “Becca’s Bootcamp.” Ms. Tebon loveswriting for us since she presented at our 2017convention. With all the holiday partying andfood, the new year brings a new time to set goalsand motivation to unmask our potential.What a busy year it has been! The FCRABoard has been hard at work this year for itsmembers. It’s been a year that, for me, has feltbusier than ever. Serving as your secretary andnow vice president, editor, going to NCRA’sLegislative Boot Camp in Washington D. C. earlierthis year, as well as attending and participating inthe FCRA and NCRA conventions andparticipating in FCRA’s strategic planning session,and now delving into publishing and thecommittee work I do for FCRA and NCRF all so Ican better serve our association and profession,it’s a wonder I have time to go to court or dotranscripts or have the time I was able to find tohelp some of my local charities. It’s a lot of workbut it is always rewarding.On behalf of the entire FCRA Board ofDirectors, we wish you a happy and healthyholiday season and new year ahead. We lookforward to a productive 2019 and wish you thevery best at unmasking your potential.December/January/February/March The Florida Reporter5
Continued from page 4The second C in determining our worthwould be our competence. We demonstrateand maintain our competence by staying currentwith our equipment and software training,attending seminars and conventions such as this,and constantly working towards certifications.I've tried for my CRR, still don't have it, and Iadmire people like the contest winners becauseyou all amaze me, and I want to be where youare. Probably next week. We should all pursuethe elite skill of realtime reporting. Even if you'rejust real-timing for yourself, your editing time isreduced, your pages will get out faster -- students-- and your income is going to be increased -students. And being a realtime reporter shows awillingness to stay relevant in the legal communityBut it's not just the legal community. Weshould bear in mind our worth to society as awhole. We've become even more valuable asother avenues have opened up for ourcapabilities. We are able to shine in settings likeCART where our talents can influence lives andchange destinies, whether it be captioning forlarge audiences, such as a stadium or a church,or on an individual level like in a classroom setting.Court reporters make the difference in elevatingdeaf and hard-of-hearing students to theirchosen careers where otherwise they would belimited by their inability to participate in theirmainstream learning environment.Ourdedication to helping those students results in thegraduation of more doctors, engineers, scientists,and other professionals. This is perhaps one of ents, knowing that you have madethe world a better place for the wave of brilliantminds that now have the opportunity to make adifference in our world because of you, the courtreporters.Because we are competent, we canembrace technology and all it has to offer. Ourown skillset of keeping the record has beenaugmented by the advances in technology, andit's important to appreciate that we will always beable to ensure that progress to our own benefit.Our intelligence sets us apart from mostlyautomated attempts of maintaining a record.Using our human, God-given intellect, we havethe ability to instantly interpret the nuances ofsound and render them into words so that eventhe most difficult of scientific testimony andaccents can be discerned at that moment intheir proper context and instantly made into areadable, usable record. So, yes, the world isinvolving, but we are transforming with it. Theremay be other means of recording proceedings,but unlike the proverbial Chicken Little wholamented "The sky is falling, the sky is falling," wemust focus on our own potential and not bedistracted by whatever other methodologies areentering the market. Daily, we demonstrate ourability to keep up with changing times.The third C in determining our worth ascourt reporters is our conviction.Ourdetermination to keep a perfect record is whatsets us apart. As Anita Paul would say, "We areexcellent court reporters, albeit not perfect.However, it is that constant striving for perfectionthat makes us excellent court reporters." Ourconviction shapes us and is best demonstratedby the performance of our job to the utmost ofour ability, treating each transcript as if it wereabout our own personal case. There's somethingto be said about you're only as good as your lasttranscript. That little maxim will keep you on yourtoes! My toes have been pinched a lot.Finally, I believe the most important C fordetermining our value is caring. You show youcare by giving back, by visiting a school, whetherit's a college, a high school honors English class, oreven an elementary school.Continued on page 7December/January/February/March The Florida Reporter6
Continued from page 6The initial admiration of seeing what we do leavesa lasting mark on impressionable young mindsand gives them just one more option when theyare considering their future.You also show you care for our professionby remaining positive, especially on social media.It is only by positive self-promotion that we canfurther enhance the value and worth of what wedo in the eyes of others. When we celebrateeach other, it benefits the whole profession.Whatever flaws or imperfections there may beare dulled in the light of our overallaccomplishments, and nothing is as brilliant aswhen we unite and band together, much like thediamonds in my gavel.Another way you show you care is bymentoring. I remember my first contact with courtreporters. I was a young 25-year-old, and Iworked in a law firm. I would see these incrediblywell-dressed professionals come into our office.They would bring suitcases, but they'd only stayfor, like, an hour or so. And then later, as I waswriting their checks, I was amazed at how muchmoney these people made. It was more than Imade in a week. And I'm thinking I can do that.I didn't exactly know what you did, but when Iwrote your checks, I knew I could do that. So Iwas intrigued, and I started harassing, better saidstalking, every court reporter that came in. Thankgoodness those reporters were patient and morethan willing to take the time to answer myquestions.Their mentoring helped me getthrough school and help me even today. Sowhether you're mentoring a student, a newbie, orsomeone in an online court reporting forum, beassured that you are making a difference.I am sure that each of you remembers thementors who have been instrumental in your life,other court reporters you wish to emulate. You,my peers, are who I admire, and I wish to emulateyour devotion to our profession.So by using our character, ourcompetence, our conviction, and our caring forour profession, we will sparkle in our setting,wherever that setting and whatever that settingmay be. I encourage you to consider those fourC's to do your best and shine brightly like thediamonds you are. Focus on your constantbetterment. Get involved with your -- our -organization. Volunteer to serve on a committeefor FCRA. There is a place for you, and yourassistance is not only requested, it is needed. Withyour help, we will be strong and stand united aswe move into our future and show the world thatcourt reporters, like diamonds, are forever.December/January/February/March The Florida ReporterThe Florida ReporterDeadline Dates(WINTER) DEC/JAN/FEB/MARArticle Submission – November 5Online Publication – December 12(SUMMER) APR/MAY/JUNE/JULYArticle Submission – March 5Online Publication – April 12(FALL) AUG/SEPT/OCT/NOVEMBERArticle Submission – July 5Online Publication – August 127
By Amy Yarbrough, FPRPresident ElectTrial Ready in JacksonvilleOn the fourth floor of Florida CoastalSchool of Law in Jacksonville there are floor-toceiling waterfront windows overlooking gorgeoussunsets. Paired with the mock courtroom, it is acharming and vibrant space for a happy hourand seminar.Partnering with the Northeast FloridaParalegal Association, FCRA recently invitedJudge Eric Roberson of the Fourth Circuit in DuvalCounty to speak to a group of court reporters andparalegals during our “Be Trial Ready” event. Hisadvice to reporters was to advocate for ourselvesas necessary during jury selection or otherwise sothat we maximize our ability to get a cleanrecord.Hesitant to speak up during theproceedings? Talk to the judge beforehand orduring a break.Thank you to the Cake Pop Shop in Jacksonvillefor providing the cake pops!Another thing to speak up about: casecitations. Even if it’s Smith v. Jones and not hardto spell, still ask for the cite to be put on therecord. It assists the judge in making rulings laterwhen researching case law.His most important point to reporters wasthat he loves, loves, loves, loves, loves realtime.For long and complicated questions followed byobjections, being able to read a question backmakes ruling on the objection more efficient andallows more thoughtfulness. There is a lot goingon during a trial, and having a live record isbeyond helpful to judges.Judge Roberson’s judicial assistant, Sarah,was kind enough to cohost the seminar andspeak on how paralegals can be more efficient.We learned about theThank you to all ouradministrative side ofsponsors:scheduling, juries, ourAdvantage Videocourthouse resources,Volusia Reportingand there were lots ofPhipps ReportingquestionsfromPowers ReportingparalegalsaboutOrange Legalbinders.Riley ReportingAt the end ofFirst Choicethe evening swagbags were distributed.U.S. LegalThey were overflowingIventurewith creative and funTransPerfectgifts and supplies.VeriTextDecember/January/February/March The Florida Reporter8
By Richard S. Sciré, RPR,The Florida Reporter Editor, FCRA Vice PresidentUnmask Your PotentialIt’s been 20 years since I started as areporter. My anniversary date w
court reporters. I know that each of you has experienced the intense heat of a fiery cross-examination or struggled with a witness or attorney who just cannot be heard because of the room's ambiance, interrup
